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Manchester Metrolink
| lines = 6 | stations = 76 | annual_ridership =25 million (2012/13) | headquarters = Metrolink House Queens Road Cheetham Hill Manchester England | began_operation = | owner = Transport for Greater Manchester | operator = RATP Group | chief_executive = Peter Cushing | vehicles = ≤32 T-68/T-68As ≤94 M5000s | train_length = T-68/T68A – M5000 – operated as single- or double- units | system_length = | track_gauge = | el = Overhead line (750 V DC) | minimum_radius_of_curvature = | top_speed = | map_name = Metrolink network schematic | map = | map_state = hide | website = www.metrolink.co.uk }} Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. The network consists of six lines which radiate from Manchester city centre and terminate at Altrincham, Ashton-under-Lyne, Bury, Didsbury, Eccles, and Rochdale. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and operated and maintained under contract by RATP Group. Also referred to as Manchester Metrolink, 25 million passenger journeys were made on the system in 2012/13. A light rail system for Greater Manchester was born of Greater Manchester County Council's obligations to provide "an integrated and efficient system of public transport" under its structure plan and the Transport Act 1968. Greater Manchester's public transport network suffered from poor north – south connections, exacerbated by the location of Manchester's main railway stations, Piccadilly and Victoria, which were unconnected and lay at opposing edges of central Manchester. Abandoning the monorail and underground options conceived in the 1960s and 1970s, light rail was proposed in 1982 as the best and most economical public transport solution for Manchester city centre and the surrounding Greater Manchester metropolitan area, and gathered support throughout the 1980s as an appropriate integrated commuter service. Government approval was granted in 1988 and the network began operating services between Bury Interchange and Victoria on 6 April 1992. This founded the United Kingdom's first modern street running rail system and its second operational public tram system; the 1885-built Blackpool tramway being the only heritage tram system in the UK which endured up to Metrolink's creation. Metrolink has 76 stops along of standard gauge track which is routed through seven of the ten boroughs of Greater Manchester. The system has a mix of designated light railway (segregated from other traffic) and on-street tramway (shared with pedestrians and motor vehicles). Its fleet of passenger vehicles is composed of Ansaldo Firema T-68/T-68As and Bombardier Flexity Swift M5000s. These were originally termed LRVs (light rail vehicles), but have become widely known as trams. Other changes include a yellow and silver branding and livery, which replaced the system's original grey and aquamarine identity in 2008. Expansion of Metrolink has been a key strategy of transport planners in Greater Manchester, who have overseen its development in successive projects, known as Phases 1, 2, 3a, 3b and 2CC, which, upon completion of Phases 3b and 2CC in 2016/17, will make Metrolink the largest light rail network in the United Kingdom, with of track and 93 stops, handling an estimated 45 million passenger journeys a year. TfGM have endorsed further expansion with proposals for two new lines to Stockport and Port Salford. History Predecessors Manchester's first tram age began in 1877 with the first horse-drawn trams of Manchester Suburban Tramways Company. Electric traction was introduced in 1901, and the municipal Manchester Corporation Tramways expanded across the city. By 1930, Manchester's tram network had grown to , making it the third largest tram system in the United Kingdom. After World War II, electric trolleybuses and motor buses began to be favoured by local authorities as a cheaper transport alternative, and by 1949 the last Manchester tram line was closed. Trolleybuses were withdrawn from service in 1966. Origins Greater Manchester's railway network historically suffered from poor north–south connections due to the fact that Manchester's main railway stations, Piccadilly and Victoria, were built in the 1840s on peripheral locations outside Manchester city centre. The central commercial district had no rail links, and over the years, a number of unsuccessful schemes were proposed to connect Manchester's rail termini. In the 1960s, transport design studies were undertaken to address the problems of increasing traffic congestion. A number of urban public transport schemes were evaluated for Manchester, including several types of monorail systems and metro-style systems. While the monorail schemes were all abandoned, a scheme to create an underground tunnel link gained momentum. The SELNEC Passenger Transport Executive — the body formed in 1969 to improve public transport for Manchester and its surrounding municipalities – promoted the 'Picc-Vic tunnel' project. This was a proposal to link Piccadilly and Victoria stations via a tunnel under the city centre and enable train services to run across the Manchester conurbation. Greater Manchester County Council (GMC) inherited the project and presented it to the United Kingdom Government in 1974, but the council failed to secure the necessary funding and the project was abandoned in 1977. Inter-station links were provided by the Centreline shuttle bus service for many years. The Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE), the successor to SELNEC, continued to examine possible rail link solutions. Light rail emerged in the early 1980s as a cost-effective option that could make use of existing railway lines and run through the city centre at street level, eliminating the need for costly tunnelling works. A Rail Study Group, composed of officials from British Rail, GMC and GMPTE formally endorsed the Project Light Rail scheme in 1984. Initial abstract proposals, based on light rail systems in North America and continental Europe, illustrated a draft network consisting of three lines: Altrincham– / , Bury– / and – . To promote the scheme, GMPTE held a public proof of concept demonstration in March 1987 using a Docklands Light Railway P86 train on a freight-only line adjacent to Debdale Park. The Project Light Rail proposals were presented to the UK Government for taxpayer funding; following route revisions in 1984 and 1987, Project Light Rail was approved. Because of central government's constraints on financial support for innovative transport projects, funding was granted by HM Treasury with the strict condition that the system be constructed in phases. Additional taxpayer funding came from the European Regional Development Fund and bank lending. Construction Parliamentary authority to proceed with Phase 1 construction was obtained with two Acts of Parliament – the Greater Manchester (Light Rapid Transit System) Act 1988 and Greater Manchester (Light Rapid Transit System) (No. 2) Act 1988. Phase 1: Bury, Altrincham and Manchester city centre Beginning in July 1991, the first Phase of Metrolink involved the conversion of two suburban heavy rail lines to light rail operation — the Bury-Victoria line in the north and the Altrincham-Piccadilly line in the south — and the construction of a street-level tramway through the city centre to connect the two. Tracks were laid down along a route from Victoria station, via Market Street to the G-Mex, with a branch to Piccadilly station. This route is now known as the First City Crossing (1CC), and it was built with network expansion in mind. A fleet of 26 T-68 light rail vehicles was procured to operate the network. Construction was carried out by the GMA Group (a consortium of AMEC, GM Buses, John Mowlem & Company, and GEC) at a cost of £145 million (equivalent to £ million in ). Metrolink was originally scheduled to open in September 1991, but services did not begin until 1992, when the Bury Line opened as far as Victoria on 6 April. The first street-level trams began running on 27 April between Victoria and (now ), the Altrincham line opened on 15 June, and the branch to Piccadilly station opened on 20 July. Metrolink was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 17 July 1992. Phase 2: Salford Quays, Eccles In Phase 2 the Metrolink network was extended eastwards to Eccles along the new Eccles Line, as part of the 1990s urban regeneration of Salford Quays, increasing the total Metrolink route length to . The extension cost £160 million (equivalent to £ million in ). and was funded by the GMPTA, the ERDF and private developers. It was constructed 1997–99 by Altram (a consortium of Serco, Ansaldo and John Laing) and six new T-68A trams were bought to operate services. The line was inaugurated by Prime Minister Tony Blair on 6 December 1999, and officially opened by Princess Anne on 9 January 2001. Phase 3 The Phase 3 extension project, nicknamed the "Big Bang", was promoted by GMPTE and the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) in the early 2000s. The project, costing £489,000,000 (equivalent to £ million in ), would create four new lines: the Oldham and Rochdale Line, the East Manchester Line, the South Manchester Line and the Airport Line. Phase 3 was put in doubt when central government funding was withdrawn due to increasing costs, but after negotiations with the Department for Transport, Phase 3 was split into two parts, 3a and 3b, to secure investment. Phase 3b was delayed after the failed bid to raise funding through the Greater Manchester Transport Innovation Fund and a proposed traffic congestion charge in 2008. GMPTE and AGMA instead funded Phase 3b through a combination of council tax, government grants, Metrolink fares and contributions from the Manchester Airports Group and other bodies. The new 0.40km spur from the Eccles Line to MediacityUK was funded separately by the Northwest Regional Development Agency. As part of Phase 3, the original blue T-68 trams were also phased out and were replaced by a new fleet of M5000 trams, which had entered revenue service on December 2009. Phase 3a: Oldham, Rochdale, South and East Manchester Beginning in October 2009, Phase 3a involved converting the Oldham Loop heavy rail line to light rail operation and adding several new tram stops on the route; re-opening a disused section of Cheshire Lines Committee railway to use as the first part of the South Manchester Line (to ); and building a new East Manchester Line as far as . When completed in 2013, Phase 3a increased Metrolink's total network length to . Phase 3b: Ashton-under-Lyne, East Didsbury and Manchester Airport Phase 3b involved the construction of a new Airport Line to Manchester Airport, and extending three of the new Phase 3a lines: the East Manchester Line to Ashton-under-Lyne; the South Manchester Line to Didsbury; and adding street-running routes through Oldham and Rochdale town centres to the Oldham and Rochdale Line. Construction work began in March 2011 and Phase 3b was completed on November 2014 with the opening of Airport Line. Phase 2CC – Second City Crossing With increased tram traffic brought about by the expansion of the Metrolink network, it became necessary to build a new route across Manchester City Centre to alleviate congestion and improve capacity. Known as the Second City Crossing (or 2CC), the project involved laying of tram tracks from St Peter's Square tram stop via Princess Street, Albert Square, Cross Street and Corporation Street to rejoin the original Metrolink line just before Victoria station. One new tram stop was built at . The project also involved re-ordering St Peter's Square and re-siting the Cenotaph to accommodate an enlarged tram interchange and junction. Construction began in 2014 and the 2CC route opened fully in February 2017. Infrastructure Stations and lines As of November 2013, Metrolink has a network length of , and 76 stations – known as stops — along six lines which radiate from a "central triangular junction at Piccadilly Gardens which forms the hub of the Metrolink system" in the City Zone. The lines are: the Altrincham Line (which terminates in Altrincham), the Bury Line (which terminates in Bury), the East Manchester Line (which terminates in Ashton-under-Lyne), the South Manchester Line (which terminates in East Didsbury), the Eccles Line (which terminates in Eccles), and the Oldham and Rochdale Line (which terminates in Rochdale). Some stops, such as Cornbrook, are shared between lines, and may be used as interchange stations; others, such as Altrincham Interchange, are transport hubs which integrate with heavy rail and bus stations. Each station has at least one high-floor platform measuring a minimum of wide, accessed by ramp, stairs, escalator, lift or combination thereof. Low-floor platforms commonly used for light rail throughout the world were ruled out for Metrolink because the system inherited high-floor platforms from British Rail on lines formerly used for heavy rail. Shelters and canopies at stations were supplied by JCDecaux, and ticket vending machines by Scheidt & Bachmann. There are up to five ticket vending machines at each stop. Each line has track with standard gauge specification, powering vehicles electrically from 750 V DC overhead lines. Between 1992 and 2007, electricity for the Metrolink system was procured by the operator, based on price only. In 2007, GMPTE changed the contractual requirements to ensure that sustainable power would be factored into choosing an energy supplier, and in July 2007, Metrolink became the first light rail network in the UK with electricity supplied entirely from sustainable energy via hydropower. } |- | style="text-align:left;"|City Zone | 27 April 1992 | 8 | |- | style="text-align:left;"|East Manchester Line | 11 February 2013 | 11 | |- | style="text-align:left;"|Eccles Line | 6 December 1999 | 11 | |- | style="text-align:left;"|Oldham and Rochdale Line | 13 June 2012 | 18 | |- | style="text-align:left;"|South Manchester Line | 7 July 2011 | 8 | |} Rolling stock For passenger services, Metrolink uses a fleet of specially designed articulated vehicles composed of Ansaldo Firema T-68/T-68As and Bombardier Flexity Swift M5000s which were originally termed LRVs (light rail vehicles), but are now widely known as trams. Both varieties are bi-directional, designed to be driven by a single driver from either end in a cab separate from passengers. The T-68s are Metrolink's original passenger fleet. They are in length by wide, weigh and have a top speed of . The nominal capacity of each T-68 is 201 passengers, of whom 86 are seated; the maximum crush load capacity is 270 passengers. Each unit was given a number from 1001 through to 1026; number 1000 was given to a half length mockup displayed to the public before opening, and now exhibited at the Greater Manchester Museum of Transport. Each T-68 was also to have a nickname referencing the personalities, history and culture of Greater Manchester as chosen by the public. The names chosen in 1987 were Sylvia Pankhurst, Sir Matt Busby, Ben Brierley, The Lancashire Fusilier, Sir John Barbirolli, Pat Seed, John Greenwood, Squire Clark, Our Gracie, and C. P. Scott. Despite assurances they would all be applied, few were ever used, with a sponsorship naming scheme (to provide additional income for Metrolink) taking preference (for example, vehicle 1002 was named the "Manchester Arndale Voyager" to promote Manchester Arndale and its Voyager food court). In 1999, Metrolink's passenger fleet was bolstered by six new vehicles to run on the Eccles Line. Numbered 2001 through to 2006, these T-68A vehicles were based on the original T-68s, but had modifications replacing destination rollblinds with dot matrix displays, and retractable couplers and covered bogies necessary for the high proportion of on-street running close to motor traffic. Three of the earlier T-68 fleet were similarly equipped. Initially only these vehicles were permitted to operate the Eccles line but the entire fleet was modified in 2008/09 for universal running. Built by Bombardier Transportation and Vossloh Kiepe, and costing £2,000,000 each, the M5000 vehicles were introduced to Metrolink in December 2009, driven by increased passenger demand. They are part of the Flexity Swift range of light rail vehicles, and have a design similar to the K5000 vehicle used on the Cologne Stadtbahn, in a yellow and silver livery. Originally eight M5000s were planned to provide additional capacity, which increased to 12 with the approval of the spur to MediaCityUK. A total of 94 M5000s were procured by TfGM for the phase 3 extensions and fleet replacement. They will be given fleet numbers from 3001 to 3094. Built to the requirements of the 2010 Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations, the nominal capacity of each M5000 is 206 passengers, of whom 52–60 are seated. In July 2012, TfGM announced that the Greater Manchester Combined Authority had agreed that all T-68s and T-68As would be retired and replaced by M5000 vehicles, which are lighter, quieter, more energy-efficient and four times more reliable than the older T-68 models. Replacement will provide Metrolink with a uniform fleet by 2014. In October 2013, the authority agreed to procure a further ten M5000s in 2014 to facilitate the construction of the proposed Trafford Park line, while in the interim supporting a service between MediaCityUK and Manchester city centre. A press release from Bombardier, dated December 20, 2013, stated that Bombardier had an order for a further ten vehicles. The press release stated 77 vehicles had been delivered, and that the recent order for ten more vehicles brought the number of vehicles ordered but not yet delivered to 27, for a total of 104. Metrolink has one Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) from 1991. It is numbered 1027 and its wagon numbered 1028. It is a bespoke diesel-powered vehicle with a crane, inspection platform, mobile workshop, and capacity for a driver and three passengers. It was designed to assist with vehicle recovery and track and line repairs. Depots Metrolink House at Queens Road in Cheetham Hill is the headquarters of Metrolink. Constructed during Phase 1, it served jointly as a control centre, HQ, office space, and depot for the storage, maintenance and repair of vehicles. Under the original proposals, Metrolink House was much larger, with a design which would support network expansion, but this design did not obtain the necessary planning permission from Manchester City Council. Consequently, Metrolink House was scaled down to a £8,000,000 site with finite capacity, and, in light of Phase 3a network expansion, Metrolink built a second depot at Elsinore Road in Old Trafford in 2011. This second depot occupies the site of a former warehouse, and can house up to 96 vehicles. On 7 May 2013 Metrolink completed the transfer of its main operational functions from Cheetham Hill to Old Trafford, meaning its control room – known as the Network Management Centre – is housed jointly with the Customer Services team by its newer depot. Wi-Fi In July 2013, the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee announced that it planned to enhance the experience of travelling on Metrolink by tapping in to Manchester City Council's grant from the UK Urban Broadband Fund and using it to provide Metrolink passengers with free Wi-Fi when on board. The scheme began with a trial on a single tram - number 3054 - connected to the FreeBeeMcr broadband network with the intention of rolling it out across the whole Metrolink network by Spring 2015. Proposed changes and expansion Travelling Service and hours of operation Before inauguration, GMPTE's original concept was for Metrolink's operator to provide a service every ten minutes from Bury-to-Piccadilly and Altrincham-to-Piccadilly , Monday to Saturday. Greater Manchester Metrolink Limited, the system's original operator, argued for adjustments, citing the need to provide an efficient and commercially viable operation in line with vehicle running times and passenger demand. Due to power limitations, this pattern was modified to a twelve-minute service throughout the day, doubling to a six-minute service in peak periods, resulting in a "ten trams per hour" service pattern on routes running from Altrincham and Bury to Manchester every six minutes. Operators are required to provide this level of service at least 98% of the time, or incur a financial penalty charge. This six-minute service pattern has been adopted on the rest of the network as the system has grown. Heavy snowfall during the winter of 2009/10 impaired Metrolink services and the operator was criticised for failing to have cold weather procedures. This prompted a program to improve reliability and performance of the system in freezing conditions. Metrolink operated icebreaker-style vehicles at night during snowfall in January 2013 to provide normal services. A survey in 2012 revealed that passengers who used Metrolink everyday for commuting rated service levels as poor and/or unreliable, with those respondents particularly frustrated by delays and disruptions. TfGM recognised that the older vehicles in its fleet – the T68/T68As — are outdated and the cause of much disruption, and agreed to replace them with M5000s by 2014. Among those who used Metrolink less regularly, the system scored far better in the survey. Monday to Saturday service: * Altrincham – Bury: every 12 minutes (daytime only) * Altrincham – Piccadilly: every 12 minutes * Bury – Ashton-under-Lyne: every 12 minutes * Eccles – Piccadilly: every 12 minutes * MediaCityUK – Piccadilly: every 12 minutes (daytime only – evening journeys provided by Eccles services) * East Didsbury – Rochdale Railway Station: every 12 minutes The combined Monday-Saturday daytime frequency on the Bury and Altrincham routes is every 6 minutes. Sunday and public holiday service: * Altrincham – Piccadilly: every 12 minutes , every 15 minutes at other times * Bury – Ashton-under-Lyne: every 12 minutes , every 15 minutes at other times * Eccles – Piccadilly via MediaCityUK: every 12 minutes , every 15 minutes at other times * East Didsbury – Rochdale Railway Station: every 12 minutes , every 15 minutes at other times Ticketing Metrolink fares were originally set by the system's operator, but are now set by the TfGM Committee at levels that cover both the running costs and the cost of borrowing that has part-funded the expansion of the system; Metrolink receives no public subsidy. Fares typically rise each January above the rate of inflation. The fare tariff is based on a division of the network's stations into fare zones. Persons under 16 years of age, persons of pensionable age, and people with disabilities qualify for concessionary fares, some of which are mandatory and others discretionary, as determined by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. The Greater Manchester Combined Authority permits reduced fares for persons under 16 years of age, and free or reduced fares on Metrolink after for pensioners. In normal circumstances, tickets cannot be purchased on board Metrolink vehicles, and must be purchased from a ticket vending machine before boarding the vehicle. Fare evasion in 2006 was estimated at 2–6% of all users, and in 2012 at 2.5% of all users. Checking tickets and passes and issuing penalty fares is the responsibility of Metrolink's Passenger Services Representatives (PSRs), who provide security and assistance on the network; between 1992 and 2008, Greater Manchester Police had a dedicated Metrolink unit responsible for policing the system. The original ticket vending machines were designed by Thorn EMI. In 2005 GMPTE announced that rail passengers travelling from within Greater Manchester into Manchester city centre can use the Metrolink service between the eight City Zone stations for free. Passengers must present a valid rail ticket, correctly dated with Manchester Ctlz as the destination. In 2007 TfGM rolled out new ticket vending machines, designed to accept credit/debit card payments and permit the purchase of multiple tickets in a single transaction. These were replaced in 2009 with touchscreen machines, designed with the Scheidt & Bachmann Ticket XPress system. In October 2012, TfGM announced it was devising a simpler zonal fare system, comparable to London fare zones, and preparing to introduce the region's new contactless smartcard for use on all public transport modes in Greater Manchester, including Metrolink. Patronage According to TfGM, more than 21 million passenger journeys were made in 2011, and the Department for Transport placed passenger journeys for the 2011/12 fiscal year at 21.8 million. Patronage has risen steadily since its opening, from a start-point of 8.1 million in the 1992/93 fiscal year. Travel increased from 18.2 million journeys in 2001/02 to 20 million journeys in 2008/09; numbers fell to 18.7 million in 2009 while parts of the system were closed for upgrades, but recovered to 19.6 million for the 2009/10 fiscal year. Metrolink revised its method for calculating passenger boardings in 2010/11, meaning figures are not directly comparable with previous years. TfGM predicts around 22 million passenger journeys on Metrolink in 2012, and an increase of 46% by 2026. A survey in 2012 revealed that 12%, or around one in 10 people in Greater Manchester use Metrolink to travel to work, and 8% use the system every day. The system is most commonly used by 21 to 30-year olds, and was used most markedly by residents of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury — accounting for around a third of their commuter journeys. See also * List of tram and light-rail transit systems * Manchester Corporation Tramways * Transport in Manchester * List of town tramway systems in England * List of town tramway systems in the United Kingdom Notes References Bibliography * * * * * * * * * * * * * External links * www.metrolink.co.uk, the official Metrolink website * www.tfgm.com, the official website of Transport for Greater Manchester * www.lrta.org/manchester, a historical account of Metrolink from the Light Rail Transit Association Category:Light rail in the United Kingdom Category:Transport in Greater Manchester Category:Tram transport in England Category:Electric railways in the United Kingdom Category:Manchester Metrolink